Dimitris’ Diary: Dresden, the treasure of East Germany.

Hello guys! Today my journey goes on to the imposing city of Dresden. The city is located on the Elbe River and gathers a lot of history, art and especially beauty. Although it was one of the cities most destroyed during the war, Dresden today exudes charm and is considered by some people the most beautiful city in Germany.

Capital of the state of Saxony, Dresden is also very close to the border with the Czech Republic and is typical in the script for those who make the tour Berlin – Prague. If you plan to make this trip, do not miss the chance to make a stop in Dresden.

The city is one of the greenest in Europe, with 63% of its area covered by tree areas or forests. After a bus trip starting from Weimar, I arrived in Dresden at the central station area (Hauptbahnhof) and walked for about 20 minutes to the old town (Alt Stadt).

The first attraction that I visited was the building of the Opera House, originally built in the period of electors and kings of Saxony. The opera house at that time was called the Opernhaus am Taschenberg and was opened in 1667. Later, the building was completely destroyed during World War II. The reconstruction was completed exactly 40 years later, on 13 February 1985. Today the building form, together with the city backdrop, one of the most beautiful postcards of the country.

Throughout the summer, they are carried out a series of outdoor concerts called Zwingerkonzerte und Mehr, made in Zwingerhof. The performances include dance and music. It’s worth it checking out if you’re in town during that time.

Dresden has a beautiful church, the Frauenkirche. The building outside has a spectacular architecture and its interior is decorated with white and rose stones, it is a true work of art. I consider one of the most beautiful churches I have ever visited. Inside the church there was even an exhibition of photographs on the reconstruction of the church. It is impressive to see the disaster after the war.

A curious fact about the city is that many of the buildings, even totally rebuilt, still remain with the marks of war, either by patches of flames from bombing or some artillery marks on the rocks. This is partly because they had reused the stones of the affected structures to rebuild the new Dresden.

Dresden also has the coolest and modern regions that resemble the districts of Kreuzberg and Neukölln in Berlin. One of these neighborhoods is the Neustadt, where there are lots of bars and restaurants where you can meet with your friends and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and hipster place, very different from the old central region where cluster most of the tourists.

The city also has a major annual event held in June, called Bunte Republik Neustadt. It is a culture festival lasting three days in the district of Dresden-Neustadt. Live bands perform for free in the streets and people can find all kinds of drinks and food. A very nice event!

One of the most traditional recipes of Dresden, success in the country, is the Stollen, or “Dresden bread”, which is typical of the holiday season and can be found in various Christmas fairs throughout Germany.

I didn’t have much time in the city and for sure I’ll have to come back to explore more places and share them with you. But definitely my favorite spot was the Augustus Bridge (Augustusbrücke), in which I could contemplate one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen in my life. This is really a special place. If you come to Germany, do not miss the chance to visit this amazing city!

Now, I caught a bus and I’m following my journey to Leipzig, which was not in my script, but the opportunity appeared and I can’t miss it, yeah?!

Bis dann!

Dimitris.